Love Knows No Imperius
by Lyla Calm
Summary: In an attempt to take revenge on Ron for cursing him, Draco Malfoy uses the Imperius Curse on Hermione. Everything is going according to plan, until the nights Draco spends with Hermione cause him to start seeing her as something more than a Mudblood.
1. Sectumsempra

_**LOVE KNOWS NO IMPERIUS**_

Shouts and screams filled the corridors as students burst into the Transfiguration classroom.

"It's a duel!" Someone shouted. Professor McGonagall drew her wand and rushed out into the hall, followed by Neville and Luna.

"I wonder who it is," Luna commented dreamily.

There was a flash of red hair as Ginny Weasley emerged from around the corner, moving backward and firing curses at someone.

"Weasley!" came the voice of the second dueler, and Draco Malfoy advanced on Ginny, deflecting all of her spells.

The next set of events happened so quickly even McGonagall had to struggle to keep up. Harry Potter jumped in front of Ginny, putting his arms out protectively. "Leave her alone, Malfoy," he said menacingly, reaching for his wand.

"Cursing my best friend _and_ my sister, Malfoy?" Ron stepped out of the shadows, a look of pure rage on his face. "Big mistake."

Before Malfoy even had a chance to respond, Ron pointed his wand at the bewildered Slytherin and shouted, "_Sectumsempra!_"

Blood spurted everywhere as McGonagall and Neville hurried to see what damage had been done.

"Nice work, Ron," Luna congratulated. "But I think it was a bit much."

McGonagall conjured a stretcher with her wand and helped Neville move Malfoy. "Mr. Weasley," she said finally, turning to Ron. "In my office, please." She turned away and began guiding the gurney toward the hospital wing.

Behind Harry, Ginny let out a long breath and slid to the floor.

"Ginny! Are you alright?"

"What happened?"

She looked tired, but the girl was beaming, much to their surprise. "I saw Malfoy bullying a first-year student, so I, uh…gave him a Bat-Bogey Hex. So he, umm, came after me."

Ron burst out laughing, but Harry's face remained serious. "Malfoy isn't someone to mess around with, Gin. Just be careful." He helped her to her feet and gently kissed her before heading to his next class.

Draco could hear voices around him, but at first he couldn't tell whom they belonged to.

"What was it, Minerva?" said a voice Draco recognized as Madam Pomfrey.

"_Sectumsempra,_" McGonagall answered quietly.

Madam Pomfrey gasped. "But that's—"

"Forbidden, yes. I'll be having a talk with Mr. Weasley."

Madam Pomfrey pursed her lips and leaned over the night table to open a potion bottle. "He'll be fine, he really only needs to take some of this potion. And rest," she finished. "Lots of rest."

When the two witches left his bedside, Draco opened his eyes. Weasley. The one who always had to be at the wrong place at the wrong time. The one who seemingly had it all—a reputation of his own, popularity, and a girlfriend who adored him. Oh yes, Draco had all these things too—but having the same school status as Weasley, the blood traitor, was too much.

A girlfriend. Weasley's girlfriend. Hermione Granger, bushy-haired walking encyclopedia of the year. She was smart, smarter than Draco. She didn't know when to shut her mouth. And she was a Mudblood.

Revenge swam through his head as he thought about everything Ron had, and how he seemed to have it all…but nothing would matter to him if he didn't have Granger. Draco saw evidence of this every time he walked past the library, where Ron would sit for hours and watch Hermione study. The look in his eyes every time she was with him, every time she would lean in to kiss him…not that he'd been paying any attention.

And then it occurred to him. Weasley would be nothing without Granger. If Granger started flirting with someone else, Weasley would be finished. It was the perfect plan…and what other way to do it? Love potion was out of the question; besides, how would he get the stupid Mudblood to drink something he gave her? No, she was a Mudblood, but stupid she was not. He would have to do the Imperius Curse. Would it be possible to cast the spell without alerting the Aurors? He remembered his father's words only last year, when they had used _Avada Kedavra_ on a young Muggle-born girl. A girl like Granger.

_"Father?" Draco's hand shook as he rested it on his father's desk. "Nott. He just killed—"_

_ "Draco, I am aware of the activities that take place in my own house," Lucius drawled, tracing a crack along the table with his scepter._

_ "Yes, Father, but what about the Aurors? Won't they come?"_

_ Lucius Malfoy stood up and slid a book from the bookshelf behind him. "Hemortis Root, Draco. A delicious vegetable…when cooked. But when rubbed raw against a wizard's wand…no spell can be traced to that wand."_

_Draco nodded, in awe of his father's scheming but reluctant to show it. _

_ "You may go," His father told him shortly. "I have work to do."_

_ "Yes, Father." Draco bowed respectfully and swiftly left the room. Hemortis Root. Could it really conceal a curse as atrocious as the Killing Curse?_

Now Draco smirked to himself. If Hemortis Root could conceal the Killing Curse, it could also conceal the Imperius Curse.

His thoughts were interrupted as Madam Pomfrey returned to his bedside.

"Mr. Malfoy! Good, you're awake. How do you feel?"

"Actually," Draco said slowly, trying to hide his smirk. "I feel fine. Can I leave?"

"Goodness, no," Madam Pomfrey said quickly. "I'd say at least two more doses of this potion, which would be…" She glanced at the back of the bottle. "Six more hours. You should be ready to go around dinnertime, I'd say. But not until then, if you please." She nodded to him and hurried into the back room, leaving Draco alone with his thoughts.

"You've been in the library every night this week," Ron told Hermione, reaching for her hand as she moved to climb through the portrait hole. "Can't you skip one night?"

"It's not my fault McGonagall put you under house arrest for the weekend." She giggled slightly at the wistful look on his face. "I promise I'll only be gone for an hour. Try not to fall asleep in that time, won't you?" She squeezed his hand and darted through the portrait hole before he could protest again.

Walking through the corridors, she saw friends coming back from dinner, she saw Harry take Ginny's hand as they passed someone…Malfoy. But he wasn't interested in making trouble with Ginny. His eyes moved farther down the hall—and locked with Hermione's. She glared at him, and he glared back, but there was something else there, something more sinister, something that told her she needed to watch it.

All the corridors were full until Hermione turned down the corridor that led to the library. Most of the other students were enjoying their Friday night off, without studying…but Hermione Granger never wasted an opportunity to enhance her knowledge.

Strangely enough, there wasn't a single person in the library, save for the librarian, Madam Pince. Hermione took a seat and opened a book, quickly becoming absorbed in the historical account of Hywill the Gallant and the Wizard Army.

After about half an hour, she heard footsteps behind her. Turning her head ever so slightly, she caught a glimpse of white-blond hair. She stood up and whirled around to face him, startled by the maniacal grin he wore.

"Hello, Granger," he said slyly.

"What do you want, Malfoy?"

"To kill you."

Hermione's eyes widened, but Malfoy shook his head. "But of course," he drawled, "I can't. So I'm going to do this instead." He muttered a spell, so quietly that he thought Hermione couldn't hear, but she _had _heard it. She just couldn't quite believe that he'd actually muttered that curse.

Draco smirked satisfactorily as he saw a dreamy daze cover her face. Thinking as hard as he could, he held out his hand to her. She not only took it, but she wrapped her arms around his neck and placed a gentle kiss on his lips—and a strangled cry rent the silence.

**Author's Note: My second Dramione fanfic! Be sure to review—I've got the basic outline finished but I can always use ideas and constructive criticism! What did you think of this first chapter? Let me know! **


	2. The First Night

CHAPTER 2

**A/N: Thanks to everyone who's reviewed so far, I really appreciate the feedback! And if you've read my other fanfics, you'll know that I update MUCH sooner when I get lots of reviews! And Draco/Hermione is just so awesome, what's with all the Ron/Hermione rubbish anyway? But I like Ron, he's cute and sweet so he's going to play a major part in the plotline of this fanfic. Don't forget to review!**

"Mr. Finnigan!" Madam Pince's voice rang through the silent library.

Hermione and Draco jumped apart just as Seamus Finnigan came around the corner holding a book, which promptly fell open in his hands and repeated the strangled cry.

"The book you requested," the librarian told him in an annoyed whisper, "is NOT in the Restricted Section."

Seamus blushed and fumbled with the book's clasp as he headed back to the bookshelf.

Draco knew it was too soon for anyone to know about his "relationship" with Hermione. Focusing his mind as if performing Occlumency, he watched Hermione pick up her books and leave the library. But, as he had expected, she was waiting for him in the corridor.

Dinner was over, so the corridors were full of students returning to common rooms. Draco allowed Hermione to mix with a small group of Gryffindors, while he joined the throng of Slytherins heading for the dungeons. _Meet me in the third floor corridor,_ he whispered, pointing his wand at her. He was seventeen, but he'd never used the Imperius Curse before. He'd seen Death Eaters perform the curse many times, and he himself had used the Cruciatus Curse on occasion. But Draco wasn't sure of the circumstances under which the spell would lift, and he wasn't going to take any chances. Unfortunately, a dark-haired Slytherin girl heard Draco and turned to face him with a grin.

"Not you," Draco said roughly, pushing past his friends and feeling annoyed that he hadn't thought to test the stupid curse on someone else first. _She'd better be waiting there,_ he thought angrily.

He didn't even notice when Blaise Zabini high-fived him (no doubt for his disdain for the dark-haired girl) or when two Hufflepuff girls sighed dramatically as he passed. The third floor corridor was the only thing on his mind.

Hermione stood in front of the wall, so still that she might have been a statue. She had that dreamy look on her face again, and Draco pointed his wand at her with a grin, making her slap herself.

"Room of Requirement," Hermione said in her usual cheery tone. Draco began to walk back and forth along the lonely stretch of wall, mentally ordering Hermione to do the same. The door appeared, and Hermione held it open for him.

"Welcome to hell, Granger," Malfoy said with a sneer, and with a wave of his wand, he lifted the curse as the door closed behind them.

Hermione was thrown to the floor by an unseen force, and Draco didn't even flinch as he took off his tie and stepped over her to examine their sleeping arrangements.

"Where am I?"

The room was an extravagant living room, but there were only two couches and no doors along the walls. The extravagance was found in the detailed carpets and the crystal chandelier.

"Not even a little food? What about my midnight snack habits?" Draco said to the room at large. As soon as he said it, a corner of the living room completely transformed into a tiny kitchen, complete with an oven and three stocked cupboards.

"Malfoy?"

"Granger," he said, smirking. "Welcome to your sleeping quarters for the foreseeable future."

Her eyes widened. "What've you done?" She bared her teeth as if Draco was prey, but the boy merely looked amused.

"You may want to sit down, Granger," he told her smugly, gesturing to one of the couches. "Or rather, don't. I wouldn't mind watching you fall again, either."

Hermione glared at him and crossed her arms over her chest. "Just tell me what I'm doing here."

"You're here because I brought you here," Draco informed her, taking out his wand to lock the door.

"That doesn't answer my question," Hermione persisted. She reached for her wand, but Draco grabbed it from her on his way back to the living room.

"Granger, this is where we'll both be sleeping for the next few months. I don't like it either, but I don't have a choice. I don't fancy holding that Imperius Curse over you all night, every night."

"The Imperius Curse? _THE UNFORGIVABLE ONE?_"

"As far as I know, there's only one kind," Draco replied smoothly. "Your boyfriend cursed me, Granger. If his precious 'Mione' started dating a certain handsome Slytherin seeker, he'd be finished."

"And what makes you think I'm going to agree to stay here all night?"

Draco, who had apparently been expecting this response, waved his wand at the couches. They moved closer together and finally melted into a large king-size bed.

"Would you prefer this, Granger?" he asked in a dark tone. "My arms around you all night, holding you so you can't get up?" He shuddered at the thought of actually touching the Mudblood, but he had to conceal his disgust if his plan was going to work.

Hermione recoiled, stepping back against the wall. "You touch me, Malfoy, and I'll make sure you never touch anyone again."

Draco wasn't bothered by threats, but neither did he want to do this the hard way. "Granger, you don't have a choice. I can curse you so you won't wake up until morning. But is that what you want?"

They stood in the silence for a moment, Draco watching her and Hermione staring at the floor. "Dumbledore's going to know. He's going to find out about your Imperius Curse. Malfoy, you can't do this!"

"I can, and I did," he said quietly, and he reached up to touch his left forearm.

Hermione didn't see the movement; she sat down on the couch a short distance away and hugged her knees to her chest, as if she was that nervous eleven-year-old again.

"I'm hungry," she said suddenly, realizing she'd skipped dinner to study. She grabbed a box of cookies from the tiny kitchen cupboard and plopped back down on the couch. "You don't have to curse me," she said quickly, noticing that Malfoy still had his wand out. "I'm not going to cause trouble. But I'm not going to break up with Ron."

"I'll take care of that."

"And you're not going to use that Unforgivable on me again!"

"Try and stop me."

It occurred to Hermione that even with her wand, she was powerless next to Malfoy. He could make her do whatever he wanted.

Draco moved to the other couch and lazily pointed his wand at it, causing sheets and blankets to appear.

"You're going to bed?"

"Obviously," he said shortly.

"What if I curse you in your sleep?"

"I'll take your wand."

"You don't need a wand to perform magic."

"Mudblood, you could make this a lot easier for yourself."

"Don't call me that!"

"I'll call you whatever I want to."

Hermione threw herself into a sleeping position, hitting the pillow so hard her head hurt.

"What's your ingenious plan, Ferret?"

Hermione thought she saw his face contort for a fraction of a second at the name, but he quickly regained his composure.

"You and I are going to start dating. Only to make Weasel jealous, of course." He laughed bitterly. "I'd rather date the giant squid, but the beast isn't interested in Weasel."

"What about Pansy Parkinson?"

"What about her?"

"Isn't she your girlfriend?"

Draco threw her an annoyed glance. "She used to be. We both felt the sparks going away last year. We were more like friends. I love her like a sister, and she loves me like a brother. Nothing romantic about it."

"So, what happens when I wake up in the morning?"

Draco sneered. "You get up, get dressed, brush your teeth, and go down to breakfast."

"All without the Imperius Curse?"

"That depends."

"On what?"

"Jeez, Granger, is it that hard to figure out? If you cooperate, I won't have to curse you until you're ready to meet Weasel."

There was another uncomfortable silence, which was interrupted by Draco yawning loudly. "I'm so tired." And he rolled over to face the inside of the couch.

Hermione drifted into a restless sleep in which Malfoy and Ron dueled fiercely, catching Hermione between them and trying to avoid hitting her, but each time she'd crumple to the floor as they continued shouting.


End file.
